Part 16 (2/2)

”And you will remember in the years to come, Harry,” she said, still composedly, and with her arms still around his neck, ”that I never loved any but you--that I never knew what love was before, and that since I have loved you--I have never thought of any other. Will you not?”

”I will--and now--”

”And now,” she said, with a superb gesture towards the barrier which separated them from Carroll, ”OPEN THE DOOR!”

CHAPTER XIII

With a swift glance of admiration at Maruja, Guest flung open the door.

The hastily-summoned servants were already bearing away the madman, exhausted by his efforts. Captain Carroll alone remained there, erect and motionless, before the threshold.

At a sign from Maruja, he entered the room. In the flash of light made by the opening door, he had been perfectly conscious of her companion, but not a motion of his eye or the movement of a muscle of his face betrayed it. The trained discipline of his youth stood him in good service, and for the moment left him master of the situation.

”I think no apology is needed for this intrusion,” he said, with cool composure. ”Pereo seemed intent on murdering somebody or something, and I followed him here. I suppose I might have got him away more quietly, but I was afraid you might have thoughtlessly opened the door.” He stopped, and added, ”I see now how unfounded was the supposition.”

It was a fatal addition. In the next instant, the Maruja who had been standing beside Guest, conscious-stricken and remorseful in the presence of the man she had deceived, and calmly awaiting her punishment, changed at this luckless exhibition of her own peculiar womanly weapons. The old Maruja, supreme, ready, undaunted, and pa.s.sionless, returned to the fray.

”You were wrong, Captain,” she said, sweetly; ”fortunately, Mr.

Guest--whom I see you have forgotten in your absence--was with me, and I think would have felt it his duty to have protected me. But I thank you all the same, and I think even Mr. Guest will not allow his envy of your good fortune in coming so gallantly to my rescue to prevent his appreciating its full value. I am only sorry that on your return to La Mision Perdida you should have fallen into the arms of a madman before extending your hands to your friends.”

Their eyes met. She saw that he hated her--and felt relieved.

”It may not have been so entirely unfortunate,” he said, with a coldness strongly in contrast with his gradually blazing eyes, ”for I was charged with a message to you, in which this madman is supposed by some to play an important part.”

”Is it a matter of business?” said Maruja, lightly, yet with a sudden instinctive premonition of coming evil in the relentless tones of his voice.

”It is business, Miss Saltonstall--purely and simply business,” said Carroll, dryly, ”under whatever OTHER name it may have been since presented to you.”

”Perhaps you have no objection to tell it before Mr. Guest,” said Maruja, with an inspiration of audacity; ”it sounds so mysterious that it must be interesting. Otherwise, Captain Carroll, who abhors business, would not have undertaken it with more than his usual enthusiasm.”

”As the business DOES interest Mr. Guest, or Mr. West, or whatever name he may have decided upon since I had the pleasure of meeting him,” said Carroll--for the first time striking fire from the eyes of his rival--”I see no reason why I should not, even at the risk of telling you what you already know. Briefly, then, Mr. Prince charged me to advise you and your mother to avoid litigation with this gentleman, and admit his claim, as the son of Dr. West, to his share of the property.”

The utter consternation and bewilderment shown in the face of Maruja convinced Carroll of his fatal error. She HAD received the addresses of this man without knowing his real position! The wild theory that had seemed to justify his resentment--that she had sold herself to Guest to possess the property--now recoiled upon him in its utter baseness. She had loved Guest for himself alone; by this base revelation he had helped to throw her into his arms.

But he did not even yet know Maruja. Turning to Guest, with flas.h.i.+ng eyes, she said, ”Is it true--are you the son of Dr. West, and”--she hesitated--”kept out of your inheritance by US?”

”I AM the son of Dr. West,” he said, earnestly, ”though I alone had the right to tell you that at the proper time and occasion. Believe me that I have given no one the right--least of all any tool of Prince--to TRADE upon it.”

”Then,” said Carroll, fiercely, forgetting everything in his anger, ”perhaps you will disclaim before this young lady the charge made by your employer that Pereo was instigated to Dr. West's murder by her mother?”

Again he had overshot the mark. The horror and indignation depicted in Guest's face was too plainly visible to Maruja, as well as himself, to permit a doubt that the idea was as new as the accusation. Forgetting her bewilderment at these revelations, her wounded pride, a torturing doubt suggested by Guest's want of confidence in her--indeed everything but the outraged feelings of her lover, she flew to his side. ”Not a word,” she said, proudly, lifting her little hand before his darkening face. ”Do not insult me by replying to such an accusation in my presence. Captain Carroll,” she continued, turning towards him, ”I cannot forget that you were introduced into my mother's house as an officer and a gentleman. When you return to it as such, and not as a MAN OF BUSINESS, you will be welcome. Until then, farewell!”

She remained standing, erect and pa.s.sionless, as Carroll, with a cold salutation, stepped back and disappeared in the darkness; and then she turned, and, with tottering step and a little cry, fell upon Guest's breast. ”O Harry--Harry!--why have you deceived me!”

”I thought it for the best, darling,” he said, lifting her face to his.

”You know now the prospect I spoke of--the hope that buoyed me up! I wanted to win you myself alone, without appealing to your sense of justice or even your sympathies! I did win you. G.o.d knows, if I had not, you would never have learned through me that a son of Dr. West had ever lived. But that was not enough. When I found that I could establish my right to my father's property, I wanted you to marry me before YOU knew it; so that it never could be said that you were influenced by anything but love for me. That was why I came here to-day. That was why I pressed you to fly with me!”

He ceased. She was fumbling with the b.u.t.tons of his waistcoat.

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